Cops seize $3 billion worth of cocaine in six months

In just the first six months of 2026, the police have seized more cocaine than was recovered during the entire combined six-year period from 2016 to 2021.

Since January, authorities have confiscated more than 5,100 kilograms (over 11,000 pounds) of cocaine, valued at an estimated $3 billion.

Superintendent Patrae Rowe, Director of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID), described the development as a significant operational milestone.

"Removing over 5,000 kilogrammes of cocaine from the illicit market in less than six months is a good achievement for our investigators and border security partners,” he said. 

“This $3 billion seizure directly impacts on the financial infrastructure of criminal syndicates and helps prevent the violence they cause from reaching our streets. We will continue to vigorously pursue and dismantle these networks,” Rowe added.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force said that over the 10-year span from 2016 to 2025, authorities recorded a cumulative 11,852 kilogrammes of cocaine seized. The 2026 figure alone accounts for roughly 43 per cent of that decade’s total. 

By comparison, the period from 2016 to 2021 yielded 4,916 kilograms in total. The current year’s seizures have also more than doubled the previous single-year record of 2,508 kilogrammes (5,529 pounds), set in 2024.